Chapter 19: The Dinosaur Makes Its Grand Entrance—Touching the Triceratops
Chapter 19: The Dinosaurs Make Their Grand Entrance—Touching the Triceratops
The filming continued unabated.
The next day, the weather was unexpectedly splendid.
Today’s shoot would feature all the dinosaurs, primarily using CGI to create their scenes.
Of course, CGI required post-production work on computers, but it was essential to capture complete footage of the outdoor settings during filming.
The actors were all in excellent form today.
All departments were ready.
The assistant cameraman held up the clapperboard. “C041, scene 3, take 1! Ready... action!”
A wide shot.
Two red off-road vehicles slowly drove across the grassy parkland.
Mr. Hammond suddenly spotted something and hurriedly said, “Okay, slow down, slow... stop.”
The cars halted; the camera zoomed in.
Dr. Grant (portrayed by Sam Neill) also noticed something. He removed his sunglasses in surprise, his eyes wide with astonishment as he stared ahead.
Inside the vehicle, Dr. Sattler (played by Laura Dern) murmured, “Dinosaurs went extinct back in the Cretaceous period.”
A few seconds later, Dr. Grant turned her head sharply. She, too, saw whatever had caught their attention, her mouth agape.
Both were utterly stunned.
The next sequence was a medium shot that gradually pulled upward to capture treetops and the distant sky.
In post-production, a Brachiosaurus would be added—a massive, majestic creature with a long neck and sturdy limbs, slowly passing in front of the off-road vehicles.
This was the protagonists' first direct encounter with a dinosaur on screen, and the effect was profoundly impactful.
After several takes, the crew had captured and secured all the necessary footage.
They then moved on to the next scene.
The two doctors stepped out of the vehicle and looked up at the sky, imagining the colossal dinosaur that would appear.
A close-up showed Dr. Malcolm (played by Jeff Goldblum) smiling excitedly.
Grant said, “It really is a dinosaur!”
“How fast can they run?”
Mr. Hammond replied, “We tested the Tyrannosaurus rex—they can run up to 32 miles per hour.”
The two doctors were shocked again. “Tyrannosaurus rex? You mean you actually have T. rex? Say that again!”
Mr. Hammond nodded confidently. “We have T. rex.”
Grant’s worldview shattered.
He nearly fainted.
Mr. Hammond chuckled. “Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, welcome to Jurassic Park!”
The camera zoomed in on Grant’s intense gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
“Cut!”
---
Spielberg called out, “Very good, but we need to shoot a few more takes of one shot.”
The crew filmed several additional shots.
Next came an expansive wide shot.
Qin Feng had to manage the actors and scenes according to his storyboard.
The main actors gazed into the distance, where a lake, forest, and rolling mountain ranges lay beneath soaring flocks of birds.
Later, CGI effects would add over a dozen dinosaurs drinking by the lakeside and wandering about, accompanied by majestic music, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
Grant marveled, “They’re social animals—just as expected, they live in groups.”
He looked at Mr. Hammond. “How did you manage this?”
Mr. Hammond crouched down. “You’ll see soon enough!”
The actors delivered performances fueled entirely by imagination.
Qin Feng watched silently, secretly admiring their skill. Were it not for being on set, he might have doubted the very existence of dinosaurs.
The day’s shooting went smoothly. Tomorrow, they would intersperse scenes with a mechanical Triceratops model.
Stanley Effects Studio was responsible for the mechanical model, which had already been fully calibrated and awaited activation.
This Triceratops model was life-sized, with most joints remotely controllable—including eyelids and eyeballs—realistic enough to deceive the eye.
---
The following day.
Filming proceeded as scheduled.
A medium shot showed the leads riding in an autonomous vehicle, discussing chaos theory.
Suddenly, Grant noticed something outside the car.
A distant shot shifted to the grassy field where something appeared to be present.
He immediately opened the door and stepped out; Sattler followed suit.
Others exited the vehicle as well, and the group walked forward across the meadow.
Grant stopped a child and leaned forward to investigate.
The camera tracked forward from ground level to a close-up.
Nearby lay a Triceratops on its side; its eyes and mouth twitched slightly, and its belly rose and fell—it appeared ill.
Grant tentatively approached, deeply moved, gently stroking the bony plates on the Triceratops’ head.
The group gazed in amazement, softly touching its skin and horns.
Grant sighed, “When I was a child, I dreamed of seeing a dinosaur like this... Now, I finally have. It’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.”
Sattler noticed bubbles on its tongue. “What’s wrong with it?”
A nearby crew member explained, “It’s lost its sense of balance, disoriented, breathing rapidly, and suffers this attack every six weeks.”
The camera cut to Grant lying on the Triceratops’ belly, feeling its breath rise and fall.
Sattler examined its pupils and inferred, “Pharmacologically, it’s because of the surrounding plants.”
She rose and scanned the nearby grasses.
As a botanist, she keenly spotted a certain species of lilac.
---
A crew member said, “Those are poisonous; it shouldn’t be eating them.”
Sattler shook her head. “There’s only one way to be sure. I need to examine the dinosaur’s droppings.”
The next shot showed Malcolm walking forward and discovering a massive pile of Triceratops dung.
“Wow! That’s huge!”
Sattler donned long gloves and inspected the sample. “Very strange. Okay, it must be affected by the neem toxin.”
She stood silently, pondering deeply:
“Let me think...”
“What exactly is going on...”
“Cut!”
Spielberg called out.
After each take, he would film a few more.
Only when all shots flowed seamlessly and the actors’ performances were perfect did filming finally conclude.
Laura Dern hurried over to the director’s monitor. “Director, how did it look?”
Spielberg laughed heartily. “The last take was excellent. Come see. Qin Feng, you too.”
Qin Feng replied, “Alright.”
He watched closely, taking copious notes in his large notebook, meticulously recording every key point and detail.
Spielberg glanced at him and nodded silently.
Young talents like Qin Feng would inevitably carry the torch one day.
---
The following workdays were tense, busy, and full of challenges.
Unconsciously, over fifty days had passed.
Filming on Nublar Island had wrapped. They would return to Honolulu, Hawaii’s capital, then fly back to the mainland to continue shooting at other studios.
Honolulu, Oahu Island.
In the afternoon, Qin Feng enjoyed a restful nap. At eight in the evening, he stepped out of the hotel and strolled along the bustling street.
He had been so busy lately that he only managed to call Scarlett at night.
He had just finished a call when suddenly, a man appeared ahead.
The man was in his forties, short in stature, slightly overweight, dressed in a casual checkered shirt and baggy shorts.
His hair was messy, his gaze sharp, and he sported thick sideburns and a beard.
“Oh my goodness!”
Qin Feng recognized him instantly with a single glance!
[End of chapter]